Shipping Green Energy

The Globe and Mail yesterday along with all national newspapers published a story regarding Dalton McGuinty’s promise of green energy “explosion”. After reading this article, you will of course be for or against the proposal of “green power” . We will though in the future see more and more wind power units throughout our province.

Now comes the question of transportation of these very large “green energy” units. We, at RBM Carriers have the right fleet and are accustomed to hauling equipment such as wind turbines that will generate our future green energy. So when you plan to purchase and erect one of these future wind power units, we are here to assist you along the way to green energy. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

We search for “interesting” trucking news on a daily basis, but with economy as of late has not really produced anything exciting to blog about. The trucking industry does not need another blog repeating rather gloomy forecasts. Hence, we have been silent.

RBM Carriers is a privately owned trucking company and along with many companies, the insurgence of brokers is an issue that has to be dealt with on a daily basis. When prices of diesel was high, many brokers felt the pinch and trucking was becoming once again the responsibility of people who know the business, instead of someone who wants to make a quick dollar. Now with the price of diesel falling to a price we have not seen for sometime, the brokers are BACK!! Of course we don’t want prices to rise again forcing us to raise our shipping costs but surely there has to be a medium somewhere along the line!

Diesel prices continue their headlong retreat in the U.S., falling 20 cents last week to a national average of $3.088, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The national average is now 21.5 cents less than it was a year ago. The highest prices were found in the New England region while the lowest average was in the Midwest.

The average price of a gallon of diesel has now fallen $1.676, or 35 percent, since hitting a record high of $4.764 a gallon in mid-July.

However, energy industry experts warn that the lower prices are temporary.

Prices, they note, are falling because of reduced demand and reduced economic activity, not because we have increased supply or increased energy efficiency, said BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward at a conference recently.

Here Canada, prices are also coming down. Newfoundland and remote northern parts of Quebec are seeing average diesel prices around $1.25 a liter — a stark difference from the highs of over $1.60 in parts of The Rock this past June.

Southern Ontario averages hover at about $1.05, while southern Alberta prices are about the same, despite traditionally being the lowest in the country.

A month-long diesel shortage in Alberta and Saskatchewan is being blamed for the higher prices these last few weeks, although there are now reports that fuel supplies are slowly normalizing.

Bringing the issue of the speed limiter to the forefront again, this article was posted in Today’s Trucking last month. We will all see how this legislation will affect the trucking industry very soon.

US carriers back Ontario speed limiter plan — with conditions

The American Trucking Associations reinforced its support for Ontario’s plan to mandate speed limiters set at 105 km/h, but is also urging rulemakers to revise the current legislation.

The carrier group has in the past sided with the Ontario Trucking Association in its campaign to get speed limiter legislation passed in Canada and is also quietly pushing for a 68 mph speed limiter policy in the U.S.

While that’s still the case, the ATA is concerned with how the Ontario rule would be applied to vehicles and how it would be enforced, according to the ATA’s official publication Transport Topics.

The Ontario policy requires all trucks built after 1995 be programmed through the engine’s ECM to electronically controlled speeds but ATA said the requirement should only apply to new trucks and be extended to buses as well.

In its final comments to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation last month, ATA urged the government to include a provision that would allow manufacturers to “embed a security code [or] software that would minimize the potential for tampering” after a truck is sold.”

Furthermore, ATA says drivers and carriers should not be cited if a faulty speed limiter failed to govern speed below 105 km/h.

The ATA also wants to see a speed limiter policy
in Canada and the US, but urges changes to the plan first

ATA also objected to a provision holding that a driver charged with a speeding offense “will be deemed not to have a functioning speed limiter.”

“Many factors influence the maximum governed speed of a vehicle,” ATA said. “Even with a properly set and calibrated speed limiter, various components on a truck can influence the vehicle’s potential speed.”

Despite the perception that OEMs are generally supportive of mandatory limiter rules for heavy trucks, comments by the Truck Manufacturers Association and Engine Manufacturers Association to Transport Canada show that equipment suppliers are uneasy with the rule for some of the reasons cited by ATA.

A Transport Canada report related to technical and tampering issues associated with speed limiters highlights several flaws revealed by the association.

Asked by Transport Canada if a 100-percent tamper-proof speed limiter is a reality, the TMA, answers: “We don’t foresee any possible way to make such a system completely tamper-proof … A fully tamper-proof system is highly unlikely.”

Hurricane Ike produced another scare in the Gulf refineries and we saw an overnight surge at the gas pumps. Now we here that oil will be trading under $100 a barrel but it is doubtful if we shall see that at the pumps.

Whose pocket is being lined this time with gold? No one is ready to answer that question, although we all have a pretty good idea whose pot is getting bigger.

Crude oil fell $7 to below $95 a barrel in early trading Monday, a seven-month low, as Gulf of Mexico refineries escaped major damage from Hurricane Ike over the weekend, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Crude futures fell on the New York Mercantile Exchange on speculation that turmoil on Wall Street Monday and a worsening credit crisis could further slow the global economy, cutting energy demand, Bloomberg said.

Refiners said preparations were under way to restart plants in the Houston area, home to more than 20% of U.S. refining capacity, following Hurricane Ike’s landfall there early Saturday morning as a Category 2 storm, the second-lowest of five strength levels, Bloomberg said.

Many refiners and Gulf oil platforms idled and evacuated their facilities Friday as the big storm approached. A total of 14 refineries in Texas and Louisiana, with combined crude processing capacity of 3.6 million barrels a day, were closed due to Ike, Bloomberg said.

Despite the oil downturn, gasoline prices rose 17 cents over the weekend, to $3.84 a gallon. according to a survey by the motorist group AAA, news services reported.

The Energy Department comes out with its weekly survey of diesel and gasoline pump prices Monday afternoon.

The crazy 2008 season of the Southern Ontario Sprints came to a close this past weekend. And by all reports from the official website (S O S) and Warren & DickMahoney, the weekend was full of excitement.

Courtesy of Southern Ontario Sprints website, here are the details:

Another bright, sunny day greeted the fans and teams for Night #2 of the Southern Ontario Sprints 2008 Labour Day Classic at Brighton Speedway on Sunday. A great evening of racing was expected as the SOS championship battle was set to be decided, with Glenn Styres, Warren Mahoney, and Keith Dempster all in the hunt, and 1 of those drivers would come away with a piece of history as the 1st 3-time champ in club history. With an increased $1,200 prize set to be awarded to the night’s feature winner, and other tight battles going on in the top 10 in the standings, the fans at Brighton were in for a treat, as the final event of the SOS season was set to be contested at the track for the first time in the club’s 13-year history.

The final SOS points-paying feature race of 2008 began with Ryan Hunsinger and Bob Crawford on the front row, while points leader Glenn Styres started 7th, 2nd place points man Warren Mahoney started 10th looking to make up 27 markers on Styres after losing 3 points in the heat races, and 3rd place Keith Dempster started 11th, 42 points behind. Crawford got the early jump into turns 1 and 2 at the start, but Hunsinger was on a mission and drove back by Crawford’s #10 down the backstretch to lead the first lap.

Styres quickly but methodically began to make his way through the pack, intent on keeping his championship rivals behind him, but his race came unravelled with 4 laps complete as Styres and Dave Dykstra made contact coming out of turn 4, resulting in a yellow flag as Dykstra spun to a stop with a flat left rear tire, while Styres also suffered a flat right front tire and was forced pit side for a new one. Styres’ crew worked quickly to get the tire changed and got the #0 back out on the track in short order, but the championship chase was now suddenly much closer, as Warren Mahoney was in the top 10, while Styres restarted at the tail.

On the restart, Hunsinger again took a commanding lead while Rick Wilson continued another charge to the front, Styres made his way forward from the back, Warren Mahoney tried to move forward and put himself in position to win the championship, and Keith Dempster – suddenly with a real shot at the title again after Styres’ trouble – raced towards the top 5. More trouble struck Styres with 8 laps complete as the #0 spun to a stop in turn 4, bringing out another caution and once again forcing Styres to start from the tail. Mahoney and Dempster were having trouble capitalizing on Styres’ misfortunes, however, as Mahoney was mired in 8th, unable to make any headway towards the top 5, while Dempster, who was fast early on, began to fade through the field, and eventually dropped out of the race before it’s conclusion.

The last 12 laps ran caution-free, but Mahoney was not able to make any headway towards the front while Styres moved steadily up through the pack and kept the Mahoney #25 in sight. Rick Wilson continued his charge to the front and got by Bob Crawford for 2nd after an entertaining battle, but ran out of time to catch Hunsinger before the chequered flag fell. Hunsinger crossed the line first to claim his 2nd feature win of the weekend and 4th overall sprint car feature win in 2008, while Wilson settled for 2nd, followed by Crawford who solidified a 5th place finish in the points standings by finishing 3rd, Kyle Wilson in 4th, and Justin Martin finishing off a fine weekend by rounding out the top 5.

Warren Mahoney was not able to advance past 8th, while Styres came home 10th, which was good enough to claim the championship. The title is Glenn’s 2nd consecutive, and his 3rd overall as he also claimed the ’03 title. Styres will be crowned the 2008 champion and first 3-time champion in Southern Ontario Sprints history at the awards banquet on November 8th at the Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

NOTES:
– 4 drivers in competition on Saturday night did not return on Sunday night, as Craig Downie, Chris Jones, Frank Baranowski, and Bill Baldwin did not sign in, while 1 new driver signed in, as Joe Middlemiss stepped into the Baldwin #14 for the evening. Downie won his heat on Saturday night and looked very fast, but a vibration in his engine caused the Burlington driver to fade from 3rd to 8th in the feature, and sit out Sunday night’s action.

– Dave Dykstra and Ryan Hunsinger took heat race victories, while Dykstra also claimed the RBM Carriers Dash for Cash. In a surprise move, Glenn Styres chose to take part in the Dash, rather than save his car from possible damage in a race that did not have any points implications. Styres did get valuable track time on the slick surface, however, and finished 2nd in the race.

– With his 2nd place finish in Sunday night’s feature, Rick Wilson recorded his 3rd runner-up finish of the weekend, as the Joyceville driver also finished 2nd in both features run on Saturday night. Wilson also picked up the $150 Hard Charger award presented by Tim Phillips Garage of Grand Island, New York on Sunday night by advancing from 8th on the grid to 2nd.

– The only red flag of the weekend came in hot laps on Sunday night when Dick Mahoney slid high in turn 4 and made contact with the outside retaining wall, and rolled onto his side. Mahoney’s #79 suffered enough damage that the team decided to switch to their backup car, affectionately known as “Lefty”, which was originially brought along for the weekend in case Warren needed it to keep his championship hopes alive.

– 2 non-points events remain on the 2008 Southern Ontario Sprints schedule, as the teams next head to the Ohsweken Speedway for the 4th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals on September 12th and 13th, and then finish the season at the Brockville Ontario Speedway on October 18th with a Can-Am Challenge event co-sanctioned by the Empire Super Sprints and ASCS Patriots.

If you are in the trucking industry, you are well aware of the crazy amount of paperwork that is associated with each shipment. It does not matter if it is a tiny box or a piece that needs all the room of a 53foot flatbed, the paperwork is the same. Sometimes the dispatcher is the sole person making sure that all the paperwork is correct on top of making sure the trucks are full, drivers are happy and deliveries are being made when promised. Sometimes, it is a thankless job. Then there is the US/Canada border crossing stickers that must accompany every shipment. CBSA has now alerted all that this sticker must be adhered to either the bill of lading or the customs invoice …….. not one of the other multiple pieces of paper that come with each shipment. You have been warned!!

Canada Border Services Agency is reminding carriers and brokers to notify drivers and dispatch that the PARS barcode must be affixed to the Customs Invoice and/or Bill of Lading.

The PARS barcode is not to be placed on a coversheet, says CBSA. The truck may be refused entry to Canada the proper procedures are not followed.

The agency says a recent trend has developed in which PARS are being presented upon arrival at the border on lead sheets with no shipment information other than the PARS bar code.

Having the code on the invoice or bill of lading allows border officers to review the information and verify it is the same shipment for which a release recommendation was made.

Lead sheets, says CBSA, are used only when submitting PARS release requests in advance of the arrival of the goods, as well as for multiple shipments carried by approved LTL carriers which benefit from Post Audit or CSA privileges.

You have to love the politics and the probing that goes on when a huge project is in the works, and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel is not immune. The transportation industry is keeping a close eye on any news regarding the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. This border crossing is one of the busiest in North America and the trucking industry is dependent on this particular border crossing. The FBI are now involved!!

A key player in the proposed $75-million Detroit-Windsor tunnel agreement, and a former aide of Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, is under investigation by the FBI as part of a federal corruption probe.

A friend of the mayor and his former chief administrative officer, Derrick Miller has been named in federal search warrants regarding his business dealings with a pair of Detroit businessmen, The Windsor Star reported today..

Miller was a lead negotiator for Detroit in talks with Windsor on the tunnel and helped establish the framework for the proposed deal — to create a joint tunnel authority.

“We’re shocked. We thought very highly of Derrick Miller,” said lawyer Cliff Sutts, Windsor’s lead negotiator on the tunnel talks.

“I honestly hope there is nothing inappropriate in his conduct that will cause him any future problem.”

Mayor Eddie Francis agreed, describing Miller as a key advocate on the other side of the border for keeping the tunnel under public control.

“He was a leader of that camp,” Francis said. “His advocacy was part of the reason that instead of selling the tunnel (to the private sector) they started looking at keeping it in public hands.”

Miller left working for the City of Detroit in November to start his own consulting company, Citivest Capital Partners, but continued to play a role in the tunnel talks until the end of 2007.

The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press reported on Wednesday that court records revealed Miller is facing scrutiny in the escalating federal investigation into the city’s financial dealings.

Raids were carried out in Detroit and Ann Arbor on July 14, as federal agents searche for documents showing the relationship between Miller, his consulting firm’s business partner, Bonita Powell, Ann Arbor businessman Andrew Park and Detroit designer Dominic Pangborn, the Free Press reported, citing court records.
The court records were said to indicate that agents were looking for laptops and documents related to a security contract with a company owned by Park and into money the city’s General Retirement System provided for the a failed restaurant and retail center venture, called Asian Village.

It never ceases to amaze me how much money is spent on “studies” and really the results of most are common knowledge, if one takes the time to think, which we are all capable of!! Take for example the latest study, in detail below, taken by DriveCam Inc., a global driver risk management company. We all know that driving too close to the vehicle in front of you is not safe driving and now you have the results of the study in writing, just in case you did not already know.

Drivers should be at least three to four seconds behind the vehicle they’re following to mitigate the risk of rear-end collisions, according to a new study by DriveCam Inc., a global Driver Risk Management company.

Analysts at the firm’s Risk InfoCenter recently reviewed incidences of rear end crashes to determine the impact of following distance on likelihood of collision.

“There is no greater risk of being struck from the rear when the subject vehicle is maintaining less than two seconds than having greater than two seconds following distance,” explained Del Lisk, DriveCam vice president, safety services.

However, the story is different when it comes to the subject vehicle rear ending the vehicle ahead, the study found. “Incidents involving the subject rear ending the lead vehicle where the subject vehicle had less than two seconds of following distance was almost three times as common as those where the driver was maintaining a distance of two seconds or greater.”

Rear end crashes are the second most common claim for most fleet operators. They make up 17 percent of all claims and cost over $13,000 per claim. Although recommended following distances can vary by weight and size of vehicle, most nationally recognized driver training programs advocate a minimum following distance of three or four seconds.

A large number of rear end crashes involve a change in speed
by the lead vehicle or an interruption to the flow of traffic: Study

The study also showed that a large number of rear end crashes involve a change in speed by the lead vehicle or an interruption to the flow of traffic in the lane.

In fact, more rear end crashes happen in the farthest right lane than other lanes when on city streets. The right lane has pedestrians, parked cars and turning vehicles that are constantly disturbing traffic flow. Following this same logic, the left most lane was next most frequent since this lane can be impacted by traffic slowing or stopping to make a left turn. The center lane had far fewer incidents of rear end crashes.

“This is partially due to the fact that more of the roads had only one or two lanes of same direction traffic,” explained Lisk. “However, it may also be due to the fact that the center lane has fewer traffic flow disturbances.”

Based on the findings, the company offers a few tips for avoiding rear-end incidents:

When possible, avoid the far right and left lanes, except when preparing to turn; drive in the center lane as much as possible (except where prohibited by state and local laws); maintain the proper following distance appropriate for the weight and size of the vehicle being driven; and try to maintain a steady speed to reduce sudden stops and starts; this will also assist with fuel efficiency, notes DriveCam.

The group governing American owner operators (OOIDA) as we reported earlier are not happy with the Ontario Speed Limiter and today are in Ottawa to discuss/convince the federal MP’s to stop the Ontario Speed Limiter’s legislation later this year. They are going to have quite the battle. Why have the MP’s agreed to the visit because from all accounts the law seems to written in stone, but then there are some stone breakers! Here’s the full story from Today’s Trucking. Your comments ladies and gentlemen?

OOIDA takes speed limiter fight to Ottawa

Leaders of an American owner-operator group are in Ottawa today, hoping to convince federal MPs to stop Ontario’s speed limiter legislation from spreading to the rest of Canada.

According to the Owner Operators Independent Drivers Association’s (OOIDA) official website, Landline, the group’s Washington, D.C.-based executives will meet with Canadian lawmakers today to “continue pressing the issue before speed limiters are mandated in more areas.”

“This legislation is like an open wound. We are traveling to meet with the federal government of Canada to see if we can patch up this wound or at least make sure it doesn’t get infected and spread to the rest of Canada,” Government Affairs Counsel Laura O’Neill was quoted as saying.

Ontario passed a rule requiring trucks to have speed limiters set at 105 km/h earlier this summer despite the fact that a series of studies by Transport Canada echo some of the warnings by groups like OOIDA and the Owner-Operator Business Association of Canada (OBAC), which claim that a greater differential in speed between cars and large trucks will result in more rear-end collisions and similar crashes.

Regulators in Ontario are currently accepting public comments for Bill 41 until Aug. 31.

Quebec is on the verge of officially passing a similar rule to Ontario’s Bill 41, and while Alberta’s Transport Minister Luke Ouellette previously rejected speed limiters for that province, Deputy Premier Ron Stevens more recently told media such legislation may in fact get a closer look.

OOIDA has already threatened to sue the Ontario government if the rule takes effect, arguing that speed limiters in the lone Canadian jurisdiction are a violation of NAFTA.